Steel cushion cross-tie.



J. GODFREY.

STEEL CUSHION CROSS TIE.

APPLICATION FILED APR-23. 1915.

Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

J, Godfrey.

JAM-ESGODFREY; or rrrTooK, PENNSYLVANIA.

STEEL CUSHION GROSS- DIE Specification of Ia'ettersl'atent Patented Aug. 3,1915;

V Application'file'd April 23, 19115.} Serial No..;23, 40.6..'

ToaZZ whom itmay jconcerm Be it known that I, JAMES Goornnr-, ,-a

citizen of the United States, residing at Pittock, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steel Cushion Cross-Ties; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a steel cushion cross tie.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of metallic cross ties and to provide a steel cushion cross tie adapted to relieve trains from jar and equipped with a resilient cushioning portion of a character not to be afi'eoted by the wheels of the pony truck of an engine but capable of being depressed by the driving wheel of a locomotive and thereby maintaining the pony wheelshigh and tight to the track and keeping the latter high in front of the engine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a steel cushion cross tie of this character adapted to take the strain off the bolts for holding the rails down and capable of preventing vibration and looseningof such bolts and of obviating the necessity of tightening the same at short intervals and thereby eifecting a great saving of labor.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of a steel cushion cross tie constructed in accordance with this invention, a rail being shown in cross section, Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of one end of the steel cushion cross tie.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawing.

In the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated the prefererd embodiment of the invention, the cushion cross tie which is (16* signed to. be constructed of, steel? or other 2 suitable material comprises in its construction a head 1, a base 2, and a web 3 composed of upper and lower vertical portions 4 and 5 and an intermediate sigmoidal cushioning portion 6. The head 1 and base 2 consist of flanges extending laterally from the web 3 and the base is designed to be of greater width than the head 1 as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The resilient cushioning or spring portion 6 which is approximately S-shaped, connects the upper and lower vertical portions 4 and 5 of the web and consists of reversely arranged approximately U-shaped bends 7 which are adapted to be compressed when subjected to the weight of a train and which enable the cross tie to afford the desired resiliency.

In practice, the weight of the pony wheels will be insufficient to effect a compression or depression of the intermediate spring portion of the web of the cross tie but when the cross tie is subjected to the weight of the heavy driving wheels of a locomotive the spring portion of the web will be compressed. This will operate to maintain the track high in front of the locomotive and will keep the pony wheels high and .tight against the track. Also the compression of the spring portion of the web of the cross tie will relieve the bolts for holding the rail down of strain and will prevent vibration and consequent loosening of such bolts. This will also obviate the necessity of tightening the bolts at short intervals and will effect a great saving of labor in the care of tracks. The cross ties are designed to be alternately arranged so as to face an opposite direction to counteract any tendency of the cross ties to sway backwardly or forwardly. The cross ties may be rolled and will not cost any more than a common I-beam except for the extra weight of metal in the web of the cross tie. The cross ties will be as cheap as wooden cross ties and will afford all the resiliency thereof.

What is claimed is 1. A metallic cross tie of the class described including a web provided with a spring cushioning portion having a curved bend adapted to be compressed when subjected to the weight of a train.

2. A metallic cross tie of the class described including a web provided with an approximately sigmoidal spring portion having reversely arranged bends adapted to be compressed when subjected to the-weight of a train. r y 1 3. A metallic cross tie of the class described including a head, a base and a web composed of upper and lower vertical por-u tions andan intermediate substantially sigmoidal spring portion connecting the upper and lower portions of the web and adapted Copies of this patent may be obtai neu i or to be compressed when subjected to the 10 weight of a train to cushion the cross tie.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES GODFREY.

- Witnesses:

BENJAMIN ROBERTS, WILLIAM PERRY.

five" cents each, by addressingthef'Gommissibner of Patents; 7 Washington, D. 0. r 

